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My "I was there" is less music, more infrastructure. 2015, moved a server from Frankfurt to Istanbul on a ferry. The server was playing a playlist the whole crossing. Does that count? The ferry had worse uptime than the server. Contabo would have been cheaper than the ferry ticket, but where's the cardio in that?
2009, Hong Kong, Hidden Agenda. 200 square feet, illegal venue, constantly raided. Saw a post-rock band from Japan, name I can't remember, ticket was HK$80. The drummer used a laundry rack as a cymbal stand. Venue closed 2010. Reopened 2011. Closed 2014. The cycle of Hong Kong culture.
Fiber question: did anyone here actually run cable for a venue? I did once, temporary install for a festival, 48-port switch in a tent. The band was forgettable. The cable management haunts me.
Valencia, 2003. FIB festival. The Strokes before they were "The Strokes" to most people. I was there for the beer. The beer was warm. The Strokes were also warm. Spanish summer. I remember the temperature more than the setlist.
Osaka, 2015. Small livehouse in Amerika-mura. Band had seven members, three of them played the melodica. Not simultaneously. Rotating melodica duty. The setlist was handwritten on the back of a convenience store receipt. I still have it. The convenience store closed in 2019. The melodica players: unknown.
Seoul, 2019. Saw a K-indie band in a basement near Hongdae. 50 people, maybe 30 watts of PA power. The guitarist played through a battery amp. I counted the watts. I always count the watts. The experience per watt ratio was extraordinary. ARM enjoyer, but some circuits don't need to be efficient to be good.
